Quit For One Day? Is It Worth Doing?

(Intended for publication on or after November 15, the day of the Great American Smokeout)Yesterday, the American Cancer Society sponsored its annual Great Amearican Smokeout. The idea is that if a smoker can quit for a day, they can quit for good. This is generally simply not true.

If you smoke, I hope that you are among the few and the proud who quit yesterday and will stay free from tobacco for the rest of your life. Yesterday's Great American Smokeout, the American Cancer Society's annual push to get smokers to quit for a day, is simply an exercise in futility for most who aim to quit then.

The constant need in a smoker's body and mind for a cigarette can be staved off for a day, a week, or even longer. After a day or two, most smokers are puffing away again.

I've got an opinion about that. And I'll share it with you after I tell you something about my life... as an ex-smoker. For 26 years, I smoked. Often, my desire to quit seemed just as strong as the need I felt to light up, to take that soothing drag that seemed to make me feel lighter and stronger and more independent. Now, I am a professional smoking cessation coach and stop smoking product developer.

Having smoked for so long, my smoker-self/ego was well defended. Like most smokers, I had come up with some mighty rational reasons why it was just smarter to postpone quitting. It would work out better when I was getting more loving, had more money in the bank, and was enjoying my work life more.
Nearly 8 years after my last cigarette, I am living proof that one CAN quit for good. Sure, a small percentage of quitters get it done by sheer will, going "cold turkey." Another handful successfully quit for good with the help of hypnosis. The fact is that fewer than 9% of quitting smokers quit for at least a year. And just because the guy down the street quit "just by going to a hypnotist doesn't mean that you should be able to do the same thing. We're all different.

If you do want to quit for good, here are the keys, as I see them:

First, get used to doing the things that you say you'll do. Make lists, then check things off as you complete them. This builds your sense of self-trust. Being honest with yourself is a major key to quitting. Consistency counts.

Second, experiment with different stress management tools and techniques. Discover the things that work best for you. Stretching, aerobic exercise, and walking can be great stress busters. You won't stay tobacco-free for long unless you find ways to more effectively deal with the challenges of life.

For some motivation, see the web site at http://www.smokingrelease.com. You'll get a sense of your own challenges in stopping when you take the Quitters' Quiz, found there in the "Questions to Ask Yourself" section.

While fitting quality exercise into your routine is important when you're stopping smoking, it is even more important to be aware of the times when your ego is feeding you messages of procrastination, powerlessness and futility. The biggest key to quitting for good: awareness.

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Charles Tedesco is founder of Smoking Release Associates in La Quinta, California. He may be reached via e-mail at ct@smokingrelease.com